SEA-BASS AND OTHER FISHES. 319 



region, with many creeks and islands, some of them wooded 

 with pines and palmettos — others low, and covered with 

 mangroves. A perfect solitude prevailed everywhere. We 

 headed for the largest creek, which was about a hundred 

 yards wide at the mouth, part very shallow, with a deep 

 channel on the south side, in which w^e anchored near the 

 mouth of the creek. 



"I will go ashore and get some fiddlers." said the skipper. 



We both landed with him, and passing through a belt of 

 mangroves we came to a low sandy fiat thinly covered with 

 marsh grass, where hundreds of these little crabs which go 

 by the name of fiddlers, called by the learned, Gclasimiis 

 pugilator, were running to and fro. They scampered for 

 their holes as we approached, but we soon picked up a quart 

 or two of them, not without some pinches from the big claw 

 which they brandished at us. Then we returned to the boat 

 and began to fish for Sheep's-head, We found that here they 

 were larger and bit more eagerly than at the other bank — 

 probably because they were not much fished for here. The 

 fun was fast and furious for half an hour, in which time we 

 had taken twenty, averaging four pounds; then at slack 

 water, they stopped biting. The other boat was near us, 

 and had good sport also. 



"Try a Mullet bait, judge," said the skipper; "you might 

 get a Grouper." 



I baited with Mullet, and cast up the channel as far as 

 possible, and near the bank. Then the professor put on a 

 pair of small hooks with Mullet bait to try for some small 

 fish. Soon he had specimens of "Sailor's choice," Whiting, 

 Black-fish, Pig-fish, and a young Blue-fish, about six inches 

 long. "These I want for specimens for my museum," said 

 he, "and here is another odd fish" — as he pulled up a vicious- 

 looking creature. 



"That is a Toad-fish," said the skipper; "look out for his 

 teeth!" My bait had been out ten minutes or so, when I 



